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BearSpray
Shack

BearSpray
Shack

Brown bear
Locations around Glacier
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Glacier National Park

Locations around Yellowstone
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Yellowstone National Park

Locations in Grand Teton
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Grand Teton National Park

Bear Spray Rental Kiosk

How it Works

Bear Spray Shack is similar to your favorite red movie rental box but for bear spray. You can rent AND return our bear spray canisters straight at the rental machine.

We geek out on technology, and the programing behind Bear Spray Shack validates that every canister rented will be un-sprayed, at full volume, and safe for re-distribution.

Walk-up Rentals

Bear Spray Shack has the first and only completely automated bear spray rental vending machines. Just walk-up and follow the on screen instructions. Check our Real Time Inventory Status before heading out.

Scan the Can

Every canister has a QR code on the side that will bring you to our On the Go page. Perfect for those who need instructions on how to use bear spray or anyone wanting a quick refresher.

Any Location Drop Off

Multiple 24/7 Shack locations means returning your can of bear spray has never been easier. Even if you’re out exploring nature from dusk to dawn, you can conveniently return your rental to any location, any time.

When it comes to preserving your safety, peace of mind, and outdoor wildlife playgrounds at large, we believe that arming yourself with bear spray shouldn’t be a complicated or costly process.

West Yellowstone Shack

How To Use
Bear Spray

If you’re not sure where to start with bear spray, we’ve got some tips and a step-by-step guide for how to use it that will make your life a lot easier—and maybe even save it!

Check out our Instagram for cool pics, giveaways, and captions that our moms brag about to their friends.

  • Betty lives in the woods and saw some shenanigans from park visitors last weekend. So let’s do a refresher on fire rules and safety!

- August and September are the peak months for large scale fires. 
- 22% of fires in Yellowstone are caused by people
- Grand Teton National Park will average 10 unplanned fires (six natural starts and four human-caused fires per year). The Teton area is expected to have above-normal fire activity this August.
- According to Glacier National Park, most of the fires within park boundaries are natural, but in the state of Montana, 75% of fires are human-caused.
Driving:
- Don’t park on dry grass - this is a potential ignition source if it comes in contact with a hot tailpipe/vehicle. 
- Starting June 22nd, in Grand Teton National Park (and the Bridger-Teton National Forest and National Elk Refuge) you are not allowed to smoke ”except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.” But don’t throw cigarettes out the car window!
  • “I can’t believe I have to buy bear spray and can’t even bring it home on the plane,” said no Bear Spray Shack customer ever. With 24-7 rental machines at key locations in bear country, we’ve got your bear spray needs covered in Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks. Check out our live rental inventory at the link in bio, and get dancing.
  • It’s everyone’s favorite topic - aluminum mining and refining!!

We already talked about how bear spray canisters explode in landfills and how that is obviously bad. But there are other reasons not to buy a new canister and then get rid of it!

Most bear spray canisters are made of aluminum, and mining aluminum is energy-intensive and releases greenhouse gases. Because pure aluminum is not naturally occurring, it must be extracted from bauxite rocks. This process produces CO2 (a greenhouse gas) and ‘red mud’ aka bauxite residue. A small leak of alkaline red mud from a refinery can change the pH of nearby water sources and damage ecosystems.
Because we love science, we also wanted to do the math on CO2 emissions! If the average bear spray canister aluminum weighs about 0.83 pounds, and manufacturing 1 tonne of aluminum creates 16 tonnes (different than TONS) of CO2, manufacturing 1 bear spray canister creates roughly .006 tonnes, or 13.26 pounds, of CO2. We rented almost 7,500 canisters of bear spray in 2025. That’s almost 100,000 pounds of CO2 NOT created! Cool, right? Aka keeping the planet cooler. Because climate change is a thing.
  • If you’re traveling to multiple national parks this summer, our bear spray canisters can travel with you! You can rent a canister anywhere in our network, and return it anywhere - the possibilities are endless! Drop us a review at the link in bio to share your 10/10 experience!
  • 🏔️ Bear Safety in the Backcounty 🐻

🥑 When you arrive at camp, check to see if there is a bear box, and store your food and scented items inside. This includes trash, stoves and fuel, dishes, toiletries, bug spray, and sunscreen.
🥘 If food is out (for a meal etc), keep it within arms reach.
🎒 Never store food inside your tent or backpack. 
👋 Keep bear spray where you can reach it overnight
🗑️ Throw away all scented trash, wrappers/bags, and food debris in the nearest bearproof trash can
🦴 If you encounter a carcass on the trail, return the way you came. Bears often guard carcasses, and there can be several bears nearby a single carcass.

Backpacking-specific tips:
🏕️ Food can be stored in a bear canister at least 100 feet from your campsite. Choose a flat area away from water or cliffs. You can also put pots and pans on top of the bear canister, so you will be alerted if anything disturbs it overnight. In some parks, like Grand Teton, you can check out a free bear canister with your backcountry permit.
🧼 Cook, clean dishes, and brush your teeth away from the campsite to keep smells away from your sleeping area.
🍬 When leaving camp, make sure to pack out all wrappers and food debris.
  • Just like sloppy joes and roller coasters, bear spray and hot cars don’t mix well and things can get messy fast.

🌡️ Don’t leave it in a hot car - ideal storage temps for a canister of bear spray are between 32-120 F. Above 120 degrees, increased pressure (over 200 pounds per square inch) inside the canister can cause the bear spray to deploy on its own…all over your car. Even with a window cracked, the inside of a parked car can reach much higher temperatures than the ambient outside air. In 84 degree weather, the interior of your car can reach 120 degrees in just 35 minutes. And objects inside the car get hotter than the air! According to the NWS, your car seat or dashboard can easily hit 200F, give off radiant heat, and further increase the interior temperature. And a ruptured bear spray canister can cause more damage than just having to clean the contents off your car. Canisters have cracked window glass as they exploded! In Yellowstone in 2024, a canister left inside a car launched through the windshield and landed 200ft away. The owner of a car detailing shop in Cody told @cowboystatedaily  that standard PPE (personal protective equipment) would likely not be enough for this kind of cleaning job, and that most of the vehicle interior would need to be disassembled.
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